About the Institutional Service

Institutional Service (IS) administers programs authorized under Title III, Title V, and Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Dr. Leonard Haynes is the Senior Director of Institutional Service.

The Aid for Institutional Development programs (commonly referred to as the Title III programs) support improvements in educational quality, management and financial stability at qualifying postsecondary institutions. Funding is focused on institutions that enroll large proportions of minority and financially disadvantaged students with low per-student expenditures. From its inception, one of the primary missions of the Title III programs has been to support the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Title III programs have been expanded to support American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, as well as other minority-serving institutions. The Title III programs also include the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program.

The Title V programs strengthen institutions serving Hispanic and other low-income students. The Title V programs, as well as the Title III programs, provide financial assistance to help institutions solve problems that threaten their ability to survive, to improve their management and fiscal operations, and to build endowments.

Title VII, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), supports the implementation of innovative educational reform ideas, evaluates how well they work, and shares findings with the larger education community.